Just feet away from the onetime plantation home of Francis Scott Key's grandmother in Millersville, field techs were hard at work Friday on a significant archaeological find. While looking for signs of French Commander Jean-Baptiste Rochambeau's 1781 encampment, archaeologists instead uncovered perhaps something even more valuable -- slave quarters.

"To be able to have those surfaces survive in an archaeological context is astounding," said SHA chief archaeologist Julie Schablitsky, who showed 11 News reporter Jennifer Franciotti some of the findings. "You can see that the bricks here are turned on their end, and there are some wear marks in here. This is the exact surface where they worked and walked 150-250 years ago."

The 34-foot by 34-foot slave barracks are rare and speak to the wealth of the property owners in the late 1700s and 1800s, Schablitsky said. The site was found beneath a 20th century house on the 175-acre property currently owned by a private school called the Rockbridge Academy.

Anne Arundel County and Maryland SHA archaeologists having been digging in sites like that all along General's Highway as part of a federally funded grant to explore the history of transportation in the area.

The slave quarters site is a gem, experts said, as techs have been sifting and finding artifact after artifact.

"Basically, anything that's not natural. Everyday items, like ceramics and white wear (are what we're looking for). There's probably part of a medicine bottle here and some nails," said Adam Fracchia, a field tech from the University of Maryland.

"All these things sort of tell us what they ate, how they supplemented their diet, what they did in their spare time and how this building was used," Schablitsky said.

"Working here is kind of like the quintessential archaeological site. It's amazing. It's very much like a dream," said American University field tech Justin Uehlein.

That could be because of the continuing discoveries, including evidence of Civil War activity after the slave quarters were abandoned, Franciotti reported.

It's a State Highway Administration project that ties the past to the future.

"It's all that is important to future highway planning, as well as the history of Maryland," Schablitsky said.

PEOPLE AT THE STATE HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT ITS CALLING A UNIQUE DISCOVERY IN ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY. THE ARCHAELOGICAL FIND IS GIVING US A LOOK AT LIFE 200 YEARS AGO. AND AS 11 NEWS REPORTER JENNIFER FRANCIOTTI TELLS US, IT COULD ALSO HELP TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS IN THE FUTURE. STEPS AWAY FROM THE ONE-TIME PLANTATION HOME OF FRANCIS SCOTT KEY'S GRANDMOTHER, THEY ARE LOOKING FOR A SIGNIFICANT ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIND. ARCHAEOLOGISTS UNCOVERED PERHAPS SOMETHING EVEN MORE VALUE -- VALUABLE -- SLAVE QUARTERS. IT IS ASTOUNDING. YOU CAN SEE THAT THESE BRICK S ARE TURNED ON THEIR AND. THIS IS THE EXACT SURFACE WHERE THEY WORKED TO 50 YEARS AGO. IT IS RARE AND SPEAKS TO THE WEALTH OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS IN THE LATE 1700S AND EARLY 1800S. THE PROPERTY IS NOW OWNED BY A PRIVATE SCHOOL CALLED THE ROCKBRIDGE ACADEMY. ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY AND ARCHAEOLOGISTS HAVE BEEN DIGGING IN SITES LIKE THIS AS PART OF A FEDERALLY FUNDED GRANT TO EXPLORE THE HISTORY OF TRANSPORTATION IN THE REGION. AND THIS SITE IS A GEM. THEY FIND ARTIFACT AFTER ARTIFACT. IT IS NOT NATURAL. EVERYDAY ITEMS. PROBABLY PART OF A MEDICINE BOTTLE HERE. IT TELLS US WHAT THEY ATE, HOW THEY SUPPLEMENTED THEIR DIET, WHAT THEY DID IN THEIR SPARE TIME, AND HOW THIS BUILDING WAS USED. WORKING YEAR, IT IS LIKE THE QUINTESSENTIAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE. IT IS AMAZING. IT IS VERY MUCH LIKE A DREAM. AND THAT IS BECAUSE OF THE CONTINUING DISCOVERIES. EVIDENCE OF CIVIL WAR ACTIVITY AFTER THE SLAVE QUARTERS WAS ABANDONED. A HIGHWAY PROJECT THAT TIES THE PAST TO THE FUTURE. ALL OF THAT IS IMPORTANT NOT